SALT LAKE CITY – USC tailback Curtis McNeal suffered a concussion in Thursday night’s game against Utah in the first quarter and did not return. McNeal’s departure gave junior Silas Redd the bulk of the carries and he gained 77 yards in 17 carries before he left with an injury.

USC was also without tailback Javorius Allen, who flew home to Florida because of a death in the family, according to coach Lane Kiffin.

That left sophomore D.J. Morgan, who gained 46 yards in nine carries in his first game back following knee surgery last month.

Wide receiver Robert Woods got hit blocking on a punt return and staggered on the field before falling to the ground. Woods had five trainers surround him and underwent a concussion test in the first half. He missed one play before returning to the game.

“I don’t even want him to hit like he did,” Kiffin said of Woods’ block. “He’s so competitive. For him to be back that quick, a lot of guys would want to stay out.”

Big plays

Tight end Randall Telfer made perhaps the best catch of the night with a one-handed grab of a 23-yard pass from Matt Barkley in the corner of the end zone. Telfer also blocked a field goal at the end of the first half.

Scoring mark

USC scored in its 186th straight game, which tied the school record. The Trojans’ previous 186-game streak was snapped in 1983 against Washington. USC was last shut out in 1997.

Yellow fever

There were 27 penalties in the game and USC committed 14. USC’s special teams are generally lauded but the punt return team was penalized for having 12 men on the field, and the kickoff team was offsides for another penalty. The punt return team has been penalized several times this season.

“The penalties were completely disappointing,” Kiffin said. “What did it end up? Fourteen? That’s ridiculous. We’ll figure out a way to fix it.”

Kicker Andre Heidari missed a 41-yard field goal in the third quarter, his first miss of the season.

Late arrival

USC arrived at Rice-Eccles Stadium about 15 minutes later than normal for a game despite the fact there was no traffic outside the stadium. A school spokesperson said a police escort did not have its sirens on as it took the Trojans from their hotel to the university, which accounted for the delay.